My brother Bulletproof Vest has made an impeccable mix cd for the car (Missy Elliott, Keane, the Cardigans, U2, Sun 60), and I responded with my favorite songs of 2005, the results of which are below.
He's not so impressed, however, with my ever-expanding 1600 Favorite Songs Of All Time List:
"I can't believe you don't have the New Pornographers' "Letter from an Occupant!"
"I can't believe you prefer the Iron & Wine cover of "Such Great Heights" over the Postal Service original!"
"I can't believe you don't have Guided By Voices' "Fair Touching!" (Its omission was even more egregious to him because I had about 60 GbV songs on the list.)
People who clickwheel through the list on my iPod invariably tell me I have the wrong songs anyway.
"You picked the wrong Bloc Party song!" (It's listed below, from the Bloc Party e.p.; Bulletproof Vest really likes "Like Eating Glass.")
Or, "You have all the wrong Liz Phair songs!" (But "Stratford-on-Guyville" always seems to strike a chord with people who sit in my rustbucket car.)
Or, "You actually have a song by William Shatner?" ("Mr. Tambourine Man," of course.)
So without any more chitchat, in alphabetical order, my Earworms of 2005. As in previous years, the list isn't about songs actually released in 2005, but music that came my way (or were rediscovered) this year:
Ryan Adams, "Come Pick Me Up"
Bloc Party, "The Answer"
Bonnie Pink, "Evil and Flowers (Live)"
Laura Cantrell, "Letters"
The Spencer Davis Group, "Every Little Bit Hurts (Live)"
The English Beat, "Hands Off She's Mine"
HALCALI, "Strawberry Chips"
Leela James, "Don't Speak"
Lali Puna, "Bi-pet"
M.I.A. and Diplo, "Pop"
MISIA, "The Glory Day"
Motorhead, "I'll Be Your Sister"
M.Y.M.P., "Sa Kanya"
Kitchie Nadal, "Wag Na Wag Mong Sasabihin"
The Pillows, "Hybrid Rainbow"
The Polyphonic Spree, "Light and Day"
PUFFY, "Atarashii Hibi [Brand New Day]"
Rilo Kiley, "Portions for Foxes"
Jimmie Rodgers, "Home Call"
Sleater-Kinney, "Jumpers"
Smoosh, "Massive Cure"
Matthew Sweet, "In My Tree"
Teenage Fanclub, "Ain't That Enough"
TsuShiMaMiRe, "Manhole"
Weezer, "Pink Triangle"
Kanye West, "Gold Diggers"
Yum!Yum!Orange, "Letter"
Next, if I ever get to go online again: The Best Music I Heard All Year, 2005 Edition: The Runners-up.